Key takeaways of zdnet
- Apple’s rugged smartwatch is now available for purchase, starting from $ 799.
- The clock gets an additional six -hour battery life to wear a total of 42 hours.
- Sleeping with smartwatch is difficult.
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If the new Apple Watch Series 11, Baseline Smartwatch of Apple, then next door is a girl, then Apple’s Ultra 3 Mount Kilimanjaro-scaling, rugged neighbor. People can use series 11 to train their first marathon, but people are definitely using Ultra 3 to record their fifth ironman.
Apple unveiled its latest rugged smartwatch at the annual September iPhone event last week. Ultra 3 The two apple watch comes with options – inexpensive SE3 and baseline series 11. Its biggest upgradation comes in small but meaningful packages, such as fast viewing qualifications, a wide -angle display for long battery life and emergency features.
Also: Apple Watch Series 11 is a feature that is far from making my OURA ring.
In the last one week, I tested all three to understand their abilities, similarities, differences, and who would achieve the most. So, how does Ultra 3 stack? Let’s dive.
After a week’s use and tinkering, the largest sales point of Ultra 3 is its battery life. The Ultra 3 in the Apple contains the S10 chip, lengthen your battery life to six extra hours for a total of 42 with regular use. I am not religiously active about charging my smartwatch, but the 42-hour upgrade put me ahead of the battery drain and simplified continuous use.
Its second largest sales point for Ultra 3 was the message through emergency SOS, location sharing and satellite. ZDNET contributor and hicker goes on an extraordinary, Adrian Kingsle-Hughes, regularly off-grind adventures. He tested the Apple Watch Ultra 2 on his hiking adventures, sent his place, and used satellite communication during his exploration.
Satellite Communications of Ultra 2 did not perform with its gamin inrech messenger or spot ex satellite messenger. On Ultra 2, “This is a Faf Finding Satellites”, he tells me. Ultra 3 upgrade can change it.
When used in emergency, Apple has designed a questionnaire that Ultra 3 can click to get help quickly and effectively. Users can call 911, then select options about their prediction, such as they are in a car accident, someone is ill, or they are lost. The watch user can describe his position, as if they are trapped or stuck on the steep area. Apple also asks to inform emergency contacts through satellite communication.
Also: I compared the best smartwatch of Apple and Samsung – here that wins for now
Once all this becomes full, the watch will instruct you to move to get a direct connection with satellites 800 miles above. In my demo, we went left and right (because satellites have not been stable and actively ordered) to receive a appropriate view of the satellite and send that report. The report includes the location of the user, their medical ID, battery level and questionnaire.
Then, a user is associated with an employee at a relay center for additional assistance. Satellite connectivity features can help people in an emergency in car, or in rural areas where the service is rare.
Kingsley-Hughes told me that these features are like security blankets that give users peace of mind while getting off-grind. Nevertheless, the main sales battery life upgrade remains. While emergency SOS through satellite is a feature that will save Apple’s hikers and off-grid adventures, this is one that can once be useful in blue moon once-when disaster strikes. But the battery creates a daily difference in the purpose of life watch and one of the reasons that Adrian and I recommend a new watch.
Apple Watch Ultra 3 (left) and series 11 (right).
Nina Rayamont/ZD
Other good-to-hve features include the guinmores screen of ultra 3, which can easily act as a standalone phone. It now includes a wide-angle OLED display and LTPO3, which improves the power and energy efficiency of the display. It was easy to type on it, and I could pack tons complications on the Ultra 3 display.
Like Series 11, Ultra 3 also comes with Apple’s recent FDA-Cleed hypertension detection. This feature does not provide by-minute blood pressure reading. Instead, it uses the PPG sensor of Apple to take a 30-day average, which determines its algorithm that is above or below the range of high blood pressure. Because I had only a few days with the clock, I was not able to use the feature yet. Once I have more experience with it, I will report back a month.
Also: Apple received FDA clearance just to detect high blood pressure – does your watch support it?
The recently announced sleep scores also come on Ultra 3, although it was the most difficult to sleep with smartwatch, in particular. Its heavy nature and huge screen made their existence almost unforgettable on my wrist almost overnight. This is not an ideal watch for sleep-tracking, and I would recommend lighter series 11 or SE3 instead.
It may not be the best to sleep, but Ultra 3 is my favorite clock out of lineup to exercise. I get a great view of my exercise figures on a large screen, and the action button starts a workout quickly. It is also water-resistant to 100 meters, IP6X dust resistant, and has been tested to bear excessive temperature, shock, height and other rugged conditions.
ZDNET purchase advice
When Apple Watch Ultra 3 Surely Apple’s watch is the most advanced hardware out of lineup, it is smartwatch which I recommend the average person at least due to my high price point. Ultra has a righteous exercises, hikers, and a righteousness and user base of off-grid explorers, and recent updates will undoubtedly please them.
Also: Best Smart Rings of 2025: I tested and found a clear winner
I will not say that Ultra 3 is a worthy upgrade Ultra 2 The user, as it shares the same, is not negligible, the glasses, which in my opinion, do not invest $ 800 worth it, unless they are mainly purchasing it for emergency SOS through satellite services or requiring six -hour battery, both do not have Ultra2.
However, Ultra 3 will be ideal for buyers who want to get the most advanced features for the first time of ultra users or rugged smartwatch.
I advise Ultra 3 to keep the above demographic demographic and people intention to use a watch for health-trekking facilities, as Watch Sleep provides complete safety facilities including sleep sleep apnea detection, blood oxygen monitoring, hypertension detection, ECG, and more.
